A stadium in New Jersey hosted a thrilling 2-1 victory for Ecuador over Germany, a result that secured the Ecuadorian national team’s place in the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup.
The hero of the match was Flamengo forward Gonzalo Plata, who scored the decisive goal in the 77th minute. With this triumph, Ecuador finished third in Group E, earning enough points to advance as one of the best-performing teams in the competition.
Germany, having already qualified, secured the top spot in the group, followed by Ivory Coast, who defeated Curacao 2-0 in a simultaneous match. The game began with Germany taking the lead after a goal from Leroy Sané, but Ecuador managed to turn things around with goals from Nilson Angulo and Gonzalo Plata.
In the next round, Germany will face a third-place finisher from Groups A, B, C, D, or F, while Ecuador awaits the conclusion of the group stage to determine their opponent.
